Ok, here are picts from our first day in India, in Delhi. This was the day that my shoes were stolen at the Gandhi Memorial Park. Our guide was Ms. Dixit, pronounced "Dick-Shit". Mass-amusement ensued.

Delhi, India, 12-23-07

In the drunktank....

Or, in my case, in Kathmandu, Nepal. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. We found Nepal much more pleasant than India, and I would definitely be up for a return trip (trekking!)

Kathmandu has seen explosive growth in the last 15 years, going from 1 million to 2.5 million people. The infrastructure can't handle it, and the city is now a victim of it's own success. Water is scarce and polluted. The smog is *bad* (although not as a bad as Delhi....) Even so, it had a sense of friendliness and a laid back attitude that was sorely missing from all of India.

Kathmandu, 12/24/07

Christmas Day, Kathmandu, Nepal. The day started out quite foggy and overcast, but it warmed up (as things are wont to do in Nepal) by about 10:30am. We explored an old suburb-town of Kathmandu, famous for it's wood carvings. In the afternoon we went shopping, but I only took my film camera for that, so you'll have to wait until I get those picts developed.

Nepal - 12/25/07

Or Day 4 of our overall trip...first stop, the big Tibetan Buddhist temple celebrating a famous monk's trip to Kathmandu. Next, a trip to Nepal's version of the Ganges river, where they burn the dead and bathe in the river. Finally, a trip to another suburb, this one famous for its religious people and old-style buildings.

Nepal, 12-26-07

Just some picts from our hotel, "The Yak and Yeti".

Nepal, 12_27_07

The morning of the 6th day, we woke pre-dawn and took a boat ride on the Ganges River. For those who don't know, that's the holiest river in India. The dead are supposed to be cremated on it's shore, and their ashes cast into the water.

Varanasi is one of the dirtiest, most shit-hole looking cities I have ever seen, and I've been to Cambodia....I will say though, it's a *cool* kind of dirty shit-hole. I would actually have liked more time here, but alas, we arrived late in the afternoon, did this dawn boat ride, and then flew out again @ 11:00am.

Varanasi 12-28-07